Journal of Zhejiang University

Bio-Design and Manufacturing 2026 Vol.9 No.3 P.501 - 513

Green staggered traveling-surface Rayleigh acoustic wave microchips for additive-free cell lysis

Author(s): Haiwei Lu,Rui Wang,Lavonda Li,Shichao Ding,Lijie Yan,Senlin Wang,Chaohui Wang,Tengfei Zheng,Junying Sun,Xingcai Zhang
Affiliation(s): 1. School of Engineering, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China more
Corresponding email(s): tengfz@xjtu.edu.cn, tengfz@xjtu.edu.cn, tengfz@xjtu.edu.cn
Key Words: Staggered traveling-surface Rayleigh acoustic wave (STRAW), Acoustic streaming, Microfluidics, Microchip for additive-free cell lysis (MAC), Sustainability

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Haiwei Lu. Green staggered traveling-surface Rayleigh acoustic wave microchips for additive-free cell lysis[J]. Journal of Zhejiang University Science D, 2026, 9(3): 501 - 513.

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year="2026",
publisher="Zhejiang University Press & Springer",
doi="10.1631/bdm.2500463"
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Abstract
Chinese Summary
Academic Network
Reviewer Comment

Abstract: Efficient coupling between acoustic fields and fluid microenvironments is crucial for advancing applied physics and microfluidic engineering in advanced biomedical, environmental sustainability, and broader industrial applications. Harnessing such interactions for biological processing enables the precise, contactless, and tunable control of cell membrane disruption, facilitating reagent-free, contamination-minimized lysis. However, existing acoustic lysis devices are faced with challenges of limited efficiency and intricate structures. To overcome these limitations, we developed a staggered traveling-surface Rayleigh acoustic wave (STRAW) microchip for additive-free cell lysis. The device consists of a LiNbO3substrate patterned with two sets of interdigital transducers and a circular polydimethylsiloxane ring for confining cell suspension. We constructed a mathematical model for the STRAW-induced mechanical effects and optimized the alignment of interdigital transducers via theoretical modeling and finite-element analysis to maximize torque and acoustic streaming. The proposed STRAW-based platform showed over 95% lysis efficiency within 30 s for MC3T3-E1 mammalian cells, Gram-negativeEscherichia coli, and Gram-positiveStaphylococcus aureus. Thus, the developed design enables additive-free, structurally straightforward acoustic lysis with demonstrated compatibility across the tested cell types. Beyond basic lysis, this universal platform can be used in point-of-care diagnostics and food and environmental safety monitoring. This work illustrates how fluid structure–wave interactions may inform fluid mechanics and applied physics within a high-performance, low-complexity microfluidic system, paving the way for the widespread integration of STRAW-induced acoustic streaming in diagnostics, industry, and research.The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Green staggered traveling-surface Rayleigh acoustic wave microchips for additive-free cell lysis

声场与流体微环境的高效耦合, 对于推动应用物理与微流控工程在高端生物医学领域、环境可持续领域及更广泛的工业领域的应用具有关键意义。利用声场与流体的相互作用开展生物处理, 可实现精准、非接触、可调控的细胞膜破裂, 进而实现无试剂、低污染的细胞裂解。然而现有声学裂解器件仍存在裂解效率受限、器件结构复杂的问题。为解决上述问题, 本研究研制了一种基于交错型声表面瑞利行波 (STRAW) 的微流控芯片, 实现无添加条件的细胞裂解。该芯片以铌酸锂为基底, 基底表面刻蚀有两组叉指换能器, 同时集成聚二甲基硅氧烷圆形环腔以限制细胞悬液扩散。本研究构建了交错型声表面瑞利行波诱导力学效应的数学模型, 并通过理论建模与有限元分析对叉指换能器的对准方式进行优化, 实现扭矩与声流效应的最大化。实验结果表明, 所提出的交错型声表面瑞利行波微流控平台在 30 秒内, 对 MC3T3-E1 哺乳动物细胞、革兰氏阴性大肠杆菌及革兰氏阳性金黄色葡萄球菌的裂解效率均超过 95%。该芯片设计实现了无添加、结构简单的声学细胞裂解, 且在受试细胞类型中均表现出良好的适配性。除基础细胞裂解应用外, 该通用型平台还可拓展至即时诊断、食品与环境安全监测领域。本研究揭示了流体结构–波的相互作用机制对高性能、低复杂度微流控系统中流体力学与应用物理研究的指导价值, 为交错型声表面瑞利行波诱导的声流效应在诊断、工业及科研领域的广泛应用奠定了基础。
Staggered traveling-surface Rayleigh acoustic wave (STRAW); Acoustic streaming; Microfluidics; Microchip for additive-free cell lysis (MAC); Sustainability